


The Accident

by dragonflyMerri



Category: Brolin, Merlin (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-23
Updated: 2012-03-23
Packaged: 2017-11-02 10:17:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/367885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonflyMerri/pseuds/dragonflyMerri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite all the rehearsals and practise, sometimes accidents happen on set. You just pray they aren’t serious. Sometimes, prayers aren’t answered….</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Accident

“…AND ACTION!”  
Arthur swung his sword in choreographed moves, fighting a magical beast that would be put into the scene later by CGI. Behind him, Merlin fought his own non-existent beast, not quite as smoothly, backing up the whole time until he bumped into Arthur. Instantly, Arthur swung around, sword singing through the air. Merlin ducked just in time as Arthur took out Merlin’s invisible foe.  
“CUT!! Good one folks. Resume places. Set up please for Merlin’s reaction shots.” The director’s voice called out and everyone immediately started moving to shoot the different angle of the same scene.  
Bradley lowered his sword and held out a hand to help Colin off the ground. “OK there, Cols?”  
Colin levered himself off the ground with the help of Bradley’s arm. Standing up, he reached up and cautiously check the top of his head with a mock frown. “Almost took a bit off the top that last time.”  
Bradley laughed “Mate, when I decide to scalp you – I’ll do the job good and proper.” He brandished the sword in mock threat.  
“Places please, Bradley, Colin.”  
Bradley and Colin moved out to their pre-fight designated spots. It took about 10 minutes more to set up the shot and they spent the time on their marks, calling out to each other in general banter.

****

“READY EVERYONE? CAMERA SET! AND….ACTION!”  
Once more Arthur swung his sword in choreographed moves, fighting a magical beast. Behind him, Merlin fought his own non-existent beast, not quite as smoothly, backing up the whole time until he bumped into Arthur. Instantly, Arthur swung around, sword singing through the air.  
Bradley knew, even as he swung and turned that it wasn’t right, but the momentum carried him through. This time, Colin didn’t duck in time and Bradley’s arm slammed into the side of his head, sending Colin flying and crashing into a nearby tree with a sickening thud. Colin instantly crumpled to the ground and lay unmoving.  
“COLIN!!!!” The cry was wretched from a horrified Bradley. He dropped his sword and rushed to his fallen cast mate, falling to his knees as he reached out.  
“Don’t touch him!”  
“Medic!!!”  
“Someone call an ambulance!”  
“Move back, everyone. Let the medic through.”  
Colin was surrounded by the crew as Bradley knelt beside him, repeating over and over “Oh my god, Colin I’m so sorry. Don’t die, please don’t die. I’m so sorry, Colin, I’m so sorry, please don’t die..”  
Colin lay motionless, as white as a sheet. Blood poured down the side of his face that had slammed into the tree and his other side was swelling and an angry red from Bradley’s chain mail arm hitting him.  
Firm hands grabbed Bradley’s shoulders and pulled him back. “Bradley, let the medic check him. There’s nothing you can do.” Johnny pulled Bradley back into a sitting position and Bradley raked his hands through his hair, tears pouring down his face.  
“Oh god, I’ve killed him, I’ve killed Colin, oh god, oh god.”  
“You haven’t killed him. He’s still alive. But he is badly hurt.” Johnny kept a grip on his other co-star as he watched the medic do an assessment and triage on the star of the show.  
“He’s got a bad concussion, don’t know if there’s a fracture. Possible broken cheekbone.” The medic held a pad against the cut that was bleeding so freely and gently wrapped a bandage to hold the pad in place. He carefully placed a neck brace on Colin then felt cautiously along the rest of his body. “Possible broken ribs, possible broken wrist.” As carefully as possible, he straightened out Colin’s twisted legs.  
“Oh Christ!” Bradley covered his head with his arms, his body shaking with sobs.  
He didn’t see the fear in the eyes of the crew, or hear the prayers and silent pleadings as they all looked on the fallen star. In the distance the wailing siren of the ambulance could be heard coming closer.  
Jeremy the director took charge and ordered people back to their equipment to pack up. There would be no more filming on this site today. Bradley refused to move from his friend, so Johnny stayed with him, talking on his cell phone to let other units know that Colin was hurt, letting Julian know what had happened, making arrangements to work around this accident.

****

The ambulance crew loaded Colin onto a body board and strapped him in. The work around him came to a standstill as everyone watched. Colin looked so fragile and broken, that crew members broke down in tears.  
Bradley insisted on going to the hospital with Colin, so wardrobe helped him shed the chain mail and padded jacket and bundled him into a coat. When the ambulance pulled away, siren’s wailing, Jeremy turned to the crew.  
“I want to know what the hell happened! I want to see any footage now! 

****

Bradley was sitting beside the bed when Colin finally stirred into consciousness.  
“Colin?” he was instantly leaning over his co-star, and he reached out to softly grasp his hand. “Col?”  
Colin’s eyelids fluttered open and he looked dazedly at Bradley. Bradley was a mess, his eyes red-rimmed, with tears hovering on his lashes. His bottom lip trembled and he looked the picture of despair.  
“You look god-awful,” Colin whispered shakily.  
“Wha…?” Bradley looked stunned then gave a wobbly half gulp-half laugh. “Col….oh god, Colin, I am so sorry, I am so very, very sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you so hard. You have no idea how scared I’ve been. You scared the hell out of all of us.”  
“You’re babbling.” Sighed Colin, closing his eyes as he realized he had an almighty headache.  
“Col?” Bradley’s voice was now alarmed. “Col, don’t pass out again!”  
“I’m not passing out idiot. Just have a really bad headache.” Colin’s eyes opened again and he frowned at Bradley. Then he scanned around the room. “I’m in hospital?”  
“Yeah, yeah, you’re in hospital. The stunt went wrong. You were hurt. They’ve called your mom and dad. They’re flying them here – they should be here shortly. The rest are waiting outside.”  
“What happened?”  
“You didn’t duck. I couldn’t stop myself in time and I hit you really hard, sent you into a tree.” The tears that had been trembling on Bradley’s lashes spilt over to track down his face. His voice broke. “Oh god, Col, when I hit you… I was so scared I’d killed you. You’re so damn small and I hit you really hard.”  
Colin reached up and wiped at one of Bradley’s tears. “Not your fault. I slipped. Not your fault.”  
Bradley dropped his head and let the tears flow, his sobs now sobs of relief.

****

Johnny and Julian entered the room to find Colin awake and taking softly with Bradley. Bradley had Colin’s hand held firmly in his. Colin was wearing a large bandage wrapped around his head, a pad marking the spot where the skin was broken. Fortunately it was in his hairline, so any scarring wouldn’t show. He was sporting a dramatic black eye from where Bradley’s arm had connected, and his cheekbone was scrapped raw from the chain mail, but thankfully wasn’t broken. They knew that under the blankets, his ribs were wrapped tight to bind two broken ribs, and his wrist sported a plastic wrist support.  
“How are you feeling?” Julian asked as they approached the bedside.  
Colin smiled weakly. “I’ve felt better.”  
“You’ve looked better too!” remarked Johnny with a smile. “Gave us all a hell of a scare, but it looked worse than it was, fortunately.”  
“We’re bringing your mom and dad out so they can look after you for a few days.” Julian said as he pulled up a chair. Then he glanced over at Bradley “Christ – you almost look worse then Colin!”  
“Guilt will do that to you,” Colin smiled from the bed.  
Bradley laughed self-depreciatingly, “Yeah, guilt will do that to you.”  
Johnny looked at Colin from the foot of the bed. “If you’re feeling up to it, there’s a bunch of worried people out there who want to see for themselves that you’re back with us. I think Katie is knitting you a scarf to help your recovery.”  
Colin laughed and instantly regretted it as he head throbbed. “Not all at once, please,” he pleaded.  
Johnny nodded. “A couple at a time only.” Then headed to the door.  
Bradley stood up. “Guess I should let the others have their turn.” But he stopped in surprise as Colin’s grip tightened on his hand.  
“You could stay,” was all he said.  
The two exchanged a look that spoke volumes about regret and forgiveness, and Bradley sat back down.  
Unnoticed, Julian observed the interaction between the two co-stars and friends. It was pure gold, the bond that the two had forged. And fortunately for him, that bond transferred to the screen.


End file.
